Carnalagoa: the Carnival of Lagoa Santa (GO)

Carnalagoa is the street Carnival of Lagoa Santa, in the far south of Goiás, and the festival that brings the most people to town outside the July holidays. It is a small-town Carnival, free and organized by the City Hall, with a stage at the Municipal Lake, a parade of carnival groups (blocos) with cash prizes and, during the day, car audio on the Aporé River waterfront. The advantage no other Carnival in Brazil's Center-West has: between one bloco and the next you can dive into a thermal lagoon at 31 °C.

What Carnalagoa is

Unlike the big Carnivals in Goiás, Carnalagoa has no trio elétrico (sound truck) or abadá (bloco shirt). The program revolves around a stage set up at the Clarito Pereira Campos Municipal Lake, where bands, sertanejo duos and DJs perform, and around the blocos formed by residents and tourists, who parade in front of the stage and compete for prizes. Admission is free on every day and in every area, which makes it one of the most affordable festivals in the region for families.

As the town has about 1,400 inhabitants, the crowd is a mix of residents, people from neighboring towns (Itajá, Paranaíba, Cassilândia, Quirinópolis) and tourists who were already coming for the thermal lagoon and take advantage of the date. The atmosphere is that of a town-square party: you see the same people on all three days, children move around freely and the revelry ends at a reasonable hour.

How the 2026 edition went

Carnalagoa 2026 took place on February 14, 15 and 16 (Carnival Saturday to Monday), at the Municipal Lake, with free admission. The program released by the City Hall included:

• Concerts on the main stage: the duo Talles e Larissa on Saturday (02/14) and DJs LKS, Leão, AndyC, Mariana Elias and Olavo spread over the nights.
• Bloco parade with prizes: the blocos paraded in front of the main stage and competed for R$ 3,000 (1st place), R$ 2,000 (2nd) and R$ 1,000 (3rd), plus R$ 400 for the liveliest reveler.
• Kids' matinee: on Sunday, 02/15, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., with attractions for children. Children under 8 had to be accompanied by a guardian.
• Car audio on the Aporé River waterfront: every day, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., with DJs Paulo, Gut and Igor Matheus and a radio broadcast.

In practice, the day started on the riverfront with the car audio, moved on to a swim in the lagoon or the water park pools in the late afternoon and ended at the Municipal Lake stage.

Carnival 2027: when it will be

Carnival 2027 falls between February 6 and 9, with Shrove Tuesday on February 9. The City Hall has not yet announced the dates and acts of Carnalagoa 2027; the festival is expected to follow the same period, but confirm on the official channels (lagoasanta.go.gov.br/noticias/ and the City Hall's social media) before booking lodging. The program usually comes out in the weeks before the festival.

Where it takes place

• Clarito Pereira Campos Municipal Lake: main stage, bloco parade and kids' matinee. It is the same lake that hosts the fishing pools and the Fishing Festival.
• Aporé River waterfront: car audio in the afternoon, in the river access area on Av. Ulisses Guimarães.
• Thermal lagoon (Thermas Lagoa Santa) and Kin Gin water park: not part of the official program, but they stay open and are the refuge for those who want to rest between days. Day-use prices: check.

The town is flat and compact: all of this is a few minutes away on foot or by car. See the exact location on Map of Lagoa Santa.

Practical tips for Carnalagoa

• Arrive on Friday or Saturday morning. The road is long (about 430 km from Goiânia) and the last stretch, between Itajá and Lagoa Santa, is best driven in daylight.
• Fill up beforehand. Rio Verde, Caçu, Itajá and Paranaíba have busy gas stations; in Lagoa Santa supply is limited and there may be queues on the holiday.
• Cash and Pix. Stalls and vendors at the festival do not always accept cards, and the town's ATMs are limited.
• What to bring: swimwear and a towel (the lagoon is at 31 °C all year), flip-flops, sunscreen, insect repellent for the night, a light raincoat (February is the rainy season) and a simple costume if you want to parade in a bloco.
• Children: enjoy the Sunday kids' matinee and keep children under 8 accompanied, as required by the organizers.
• Your own bloco: groups of friends and families can form a bloco and compete for the prizes. Ask the City Hall about registration, (64) 3640-1303.
• Safety: the Military Police answer on (64) 3640-1147 and the Emergency Hospital on (64) 3640-1267.

Getting there for Carnival

From Goiânia, take the BR-060 to Rio Verde and then the GO-174, GO-422 (Caçu), GO-206 (Itarumã), GO-178 (Itajá) and GO-302 to Lagoa Santa: approximately 430 km and 6 to 6.5 hours of travel. From Campo Grande it is about 470 km via BR-262/BR-158 and Paranaíba. There is no direct bus: the lines go as far as Itajá, 20 km away, and from there you continue with local transport. Full routes on Getting there.